#SQLCruise2012

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 6 – Back in Class… On the Boat

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Today was our marathon day of classes: we covered performance tuning concepts with Kevin Kline, bad habits to avoid in SQL Server with Aaron Bertrand, and Brent Ozar provided a very well-received session covering analysis of your SQL Server Plan Cache.

The day started early for me as they always tend to on the SQL Cruises.  I knew that I’d be able to hit the back deck of the ship where we’ve been holding Office Hours and find Brent though.  He takes “early-riser” to a new level.  We had a great conversation about the future of SQL Cruise, the current class of Cruisers, the state of SQL Server, coffee, and technology.  I’ve not had the opportunity to pull Brent aside to talk much on this SQL Cruise and it was a nice hour or so having this discussion and watching the sun crest over the Caribbean Sea to our Southeast.

I excused myself so Brent could finish up his prep-work for the Plan Cache BI presentation and joined him and the Cruisers for the presentation.  Brent was nervous about this presentation since he doesn’t typically do demos and this was a new presentation for him.  He did a great job and the comments I’ve since heard from the Cruisers place this one near the top of the heap for this SQL Cruise.

After a break for a group lunch we collected back in the conference room and dove into Aaron Bertrand’s session on Bad T/SQL Habits to Kick.  I really enjoyed this session because it highlights many of the things I have done in the past or sometimes still find myself doing ashamedly.  There were definitely many points made that I still see in my day-to-day administration work when I review ISV code and architecture!  I was surprised a bit at the unwillingness of the Cruisers to admit they still do some of these things themselves.  Either that, or it’s because we simply have an amazing group on board this time around!  (We Do!)

Kevin wrapped up the day with his performance tuning presentation.  Usually a full-day precon, he dove into one of the modules for us in great depth and it dovetailed nicely into all the presentations we’ve had to date on this SQL Cruise.  Kevin was definitely a hit with all the Cruisers and I look forward to him hopefully presenting for us again on a future SQL Cruise!

After class we were able to enjoy the waning sunlight and take in a bit of Office Hours time before heading back inside to group up for various dinner arrangements.  Many of us met again for the 7-pm The Second City show.  For those of you not familiar with The Second City it is the improvisational comedic guild that gave rise to such talents as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Steven Colbert, Rick Moranis, and Eugene Levy.  They take suggestions from the audience and incorporate it into their show.

Thanks to Yours Truly they gave the audience insight into a day in the life of a group of Database Administrators.  (A nice call back for me because I recall getting a different troupe to do likewise on our very first SQL Cruise.)

Oh, and don’t worry folks… it seems as though from the performers and audience alike NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WE DO.  Unless it involves jiggling wires to make things go faster – and we all know that’s the job for a Server Engineer.

 

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 4 – St. Thomas Day

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Day four found us with our second land day of SQL Cruise Miami 2012.  As a group we decided to take the lead from someone who had been to St. Thomas a half-dozen times in the past…

We decided to not go to St. Thomas.

Yes, we hailed a taxi – all thirteen of us – and made our way to the opposite side of the island from the cruise ship docks and the host of trinket and jewelry shops for a ship of a different kind; one that would take us to St. John for our final destination: Trunk Bay.  This may have been my favorite stop on all of the SQL Cruises so far though it’s a close vote with our snorkeling trip in Ketchikan, Alaska last year.  Odd how both these trips involve snorkeling and 5,000 miles in opposite directions.  Brent Ozar was our tour guide on this stop of SQL Cruise Miami 2012.  We made our way from St. Thomas via ferry service to St. John then hailed a second taxi to the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park and Trunk Bay where we were able to take in the white sand beaches, warm breezes, and the aforementioned snorkeling.

I had never seen water as blue as I saw in Trunk Bay.  I doubt I ever will see that trumped.

It was a nice break from the classroom that we would be returning to on Day 5 when we would have Brent, Kevin, and Aaron all presenting.

After returning to the ship we met up for consulting and networking time at our SQL Cruise Cocktail Party.  Topics covered were resume building and interviewing horror stories along with all the technical trappings that come with being a DBA.  We also took the opportunity to celebrate Aaron Betrand’s birthday.  Happy Birthday Aaron.  Hopefully it was a memorable one!

 

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 3 – We’re in Class on a Boat… Again

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The Training

Today was kicked-off on a professional development note by former SQL Cruiser from Miami 2011 (as well as PASS President Emeritus) Kevin Kline.  Kevin provided us with a compelling discussion on Leadership Skills for the Database Professional in a very interesting venue – the Cagney’s Steakhouse restaurant on board the Norwegian Epic.  One would think that to be an odd venue but you could argue the point that anywhere on a cruise ship is an odd venue… but it just simply works and works well.  Kevin’s presentation included some great discussion points between cruisers and the presenters on board.  It’s a joy to have Kevin aboard SQL Cruise and particularly satisfying to have him come with us as a presenter.

After lunch it was Aaron Betrand’s turn.  Aaron, SQL Server expert with SQL Sentry, a veteran presenter from SQL Cruise Alaska 2011 is presenting twice on this cruise and his first session was one of the favorites from that last cruise to Alaska – What’s New in SQL Server 2012.  This session was the best-received and most engaging in Alaska.  I was quite surprised that the classroom discussion wasn’t to the same level here as it was in Alaska.  The last cruise this same presentation ran to almost 3 hours when class interaction factored-in.

I really enjoy Aaron’s company and was glad that SQL Sentry was able to spare him again on this cruise.  He’s welcome any time.

The Contest

Once Aaron was finished with his presentation he moved into Game Show Host mode.  Aaron’s company, SQL Sentry, presented their Hairy Execution Plan Contest – their spin on the Hairy Chest Contests you’ll often have the misfortune of encountering on board a cruise ship vacation.  The contest came down to two submissions: Steven Ormrod and DeWet Erasmus – each a strong candidate for hairiest plan.  The winner was DeWet Erasmus all the way from South Africa who will be receiving a one year license to SQL Sentry’s Performance Advisor and Event Manager products.

Thank you SQL Sentry and congratulations to De Wet Erasmus for winning this Cruise’s SQL Sentry Hairy Execution Plan Contest!

The Evening

Finally we moved on to a relaxing evening at sea.  Carl Brosseau and his family, Bill and Mickey Sanscrainte, and Brandon Leach were able to take in the Cirque du Soleil show along with my family then whiled away the evening discussing work and any other tangential topics that geeks invariably move towards.  It’s been a great SQL Cruise so far and we are anxious for our first day in port tomorrow in St. Maarten.  I know I’m looking forward to taking photos of things other than pasty SQL Professionals presenting sessions at sea!

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 5 – St. Maarten Day

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Our first day on land has finally arrived.  After two very successful class days at sea we arrived at 8:00 am in the port of Phillipsburg, St. Maarten.  While some of us simply planned to explore the shops and perhaps get a drink or meal on the island many of us spent the day on excursions – in the case of Aaron Betrand from SQL Sentry one of his own choosing.  Aaron decided that after a day leading us through enhancements and changes coming in SQL Server 2012 that he would avoid relaxation in exchange for biking 25 miles around the island that is shared by both the Netherlands and France.  While the French are determined to maintain their roads – Aaron wasn’t so lucky on the Dutch side and is nursing some serious chaffing, aches, and pains along with a nice little sunburn.

Though there were five cruise ships in port we did manage to occasionally run into one another.  While my family was run Segways up and down the boardwalk and beaches (I WANT ONE!) we ran into Kevin Kline (PASS President Emeritus) enjoying a quiet island brunch in one of the many beachside restaurants.  Aaron ran across Ivan and Irina Camayo who joined us on SQL Cruise at the last minute out of Miami at the beach on the far Dutch side of the island, and prior to boarding at the end of our time in port we found ourselves with Ryan and Jennifer Adams along with Aaron at the last pub prior to embarking back upon our ship for sailing to the next destination: St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

After making sure all were aboard the Norwegian Epic set sail and the SQL Cruise staff and Cruisers collected on the aft deck for the Idera Iditarod contest (video to be posted soon; still photos do not do the event justice.)  Our winners were second-time SQL Cruiser Bill Sanstrainte and the aforementioned Ryan Adams – making him a redundant winner at the hands of Idera Software.  Congratulations Ryan and Bill!  They each receive a Flip Mini HD Camera courtesy of Idera Software!

The evening concluded early with office hours.  Discussions about indexing, execution plans, and volunteerism in the SQL Community gave way to nodding heads, blank stares, and yawns as the full day of sun and late meals on board took their toll on speakers, Cruisers, and yours-truly alike.

Today we meet for debarkation and a water ferry to the island of St. John’s for a quiet respite on the beach and office hours of the most-unique variety.  Most of the SQL Cruise group will be spending the day together so we will possibly have an unscheduled extra 8 hours of informal training, networking, and instruction today.

It will be sure to be another great day in Paradise aboard SQL Cruise!

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 2 – We’re in Class on a Boat

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Our first day in class was a great success.  Brent Ozar presented on San Features for Senior DBAs and I covered the Periodic Table of Dynamic Management Objects.

The evening agenda for SQL Cruise kicked off first however at the Spice H2O Pool and Grill where we held the Brent Ozar PLF Art Auction.  If you’ve gone on a cruise before you know they do what they can to separate you from your money.  One of those methods are by holding art auctions – they lure you in with free champagne in the hopes you will make some starving artist not so hungry and the cruise line will happily take a commission on the sale.  On SQL Cruise we have our twist on the genre.  Including our own money which we provide to the Cruisers.  Some prizes are great.  Some, well let’s just say some are great fun.  From underwater digital cameras to posters of dogs playing poker everyone walked away with something after the auction.

We then held open office hours like you’ve never encountered before unless you’ve been on a SQL Cruise.  Presenters and Cruisers alike asking questions and volleying ideas off each other while getting some sun and some refreshments in and around the pool.  Consulting sessions should always be this easy!

After the draining stress that poolside consulting requires we moved into relax and network mode with many of us taking in the Blue Man Group.  It was an absolute delight seeing my sons in the front row enjoying themselves.  The Blue Man Group was the first thing we took in at Universal Studios about a year ago after Trevor’s long stint in the hospital; still frail and in a wheelchair at that time.  Sharing such a recovery with #SQLFamily aboard SQL Cruise is a very fulfilling experience for me.

When you come on a SQL Cruise you always seem to find the energy to stay out late and make it to class the next day.  I attribute it to the 24-hour lifestyle so many DBAs need to adopt to support their environments.  Here it is just a bit more casual though.

Our next day will also be a training day; this time featuring Kevin Kline and Aaron Bertrand.  This is shaping up to be a great week, just as expected of course!

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